Macmillan Cancer Support, the cancer charity, has invested in Neutrocheck – a portable device and accompanying app in development from 52 North Health – with the aim to help people with cancer test their risk of life-threatening neutropenic sepsis at home rather than at hospital.
This could save time and reduce stress for cancer patients as well as reduce pressure on the NHS.
Neutropenic sepsis is a serious reaction to an infection that affects the whole body, with possible signs including flu-like symptoms, such as a fever or low temperature, which are easy to dismiss. However, even a mild illness can become fatal, with one study suggesting that, for every hour a person has neutropenic sepsis before starting treatment, chances of survival can reduce by more than 7%. It can occur in people with cancer undergoing chemotherapy who may have suppressed immune systems and, due to the risks, the vast majority of those who feel unwell are currently sent directly to A&E.
Once a person arrives at A&E, they are given appropriate antibiotics as a precaution and undergo a full blood test. However, one study suggests that two in five of these visits could be ‘false alarms’ when it comes to sepsis. This can be: